What Is the Meaning of 1 Peter 4:6: The Gospel Preached to the Dead?

Interestingly, the same could be said of what Peter wrote in 1 Peter 4:6. 

In this verse, Peter refers to “the gospel” being “preached also to those who are dead.” Some have taken this to mean that Jesus went to hell after His death and preached to the dead spirits there. Others believe that this is something that continues to happen. 

What is the proper understanding and meaning of Peter’s statement in 1 Peter 4:6?

A closer look at the context of 1 Peter 4:6

The verse begins with a conjunction, “for,” which links it to the previous thought. Speaking of Jesus Christ, verse 5 informs us that He will judge all men, “the living and the dead.” This theme of divine judgment is woven throughout the entire chapter.

Leading up to this affirmation of judgment, Peter contrasted two categories of people. 

This theme of divine judgment is woven throughout the entire chapter. The first category Peter spoke of were Christians—people whose consciences were sensitive to questions of morality. He described them as people who had “ceased from sin” and no longer lived “for the lusts of men” but instead lived “for the will of God” (verses 1-2). 

People in this category had learned what God calls right and wrong and had chosen to do right. Their lifestyle had been transformed from self-indulgent to self-controlled. The fact that they had changed annoyed and angered those who didn’t live righteously (verse 4). 

The second category of people lived as if they would never be judged for what they did. They indulged their every craving without concern of right or wrong. In Peter’s words, they walked in “lewdness, lusts, drunkenness, revelries, drinking parties, and abominable idolatries” (verse 3). They lived without any restraints on their urges, even if their behavior hurt others—including themselves.

Does that sound familiar?

It perfectly describes many people in our modern world. Since the Garden of Eden, men and women have continually chosen the path of self-indulgence.

All held accountable

That provides the necessary backdrop to Peter’s warning message in verse 5: “They will give an account to Him who is ready to judge the living and the dead.” No one will escape accountability for his or her actions. No one will be able to escape accountability for how he or she has chosen to live. 

Jesus Christ will call all to account.

Peter then continued by saying that because Christ will eventually judge all men, “the gospel was preached” to certain people identified as “dead” (verse 6). 

A major part of this message was that Jesus “suffered for us in the flesh” (verse 1). That is, during His human existence, He successfully lived a sinless life despite extreme temptation to sin and ultimately experienced physical torture and death. This allowed Him to become the perfect sacrifice for sin. 

Through His life and sacrifice, Christ modeled the way that all men should live. That way stands in stark contrast to the way of self-indulgence Peter described in verses 3-4. 

Who are the “dead” of 1 Peter 4:6?

The identity of the “dead” (verse 6) has been debated and interpreted by theologians for centuries. A common erroneous claim is that the dead refers to the “spirits in prison” that Peter wrote of in 1 Peter 3:19.  

Scripture never refers to the dead as “spirits.” Nor does the Bible ever refer to the dead as being “in prison.” The identity of these spirits and how and when Christ preached to them is an intriguing topic beyond the scope of this blog post. (You can find a full explanation of that in our article “Satan Destroyed? How?”)

For our purposes, suffice it to say that Scripture never refers to the dead as “spirits.” Nor does the Bible ever refer to the dead as being “in prison.” 

Simply put, imprisoned spirits is a description of demonic beings—not deceased human beings. 

This fact alone shows the error of linking 1 Peter 4:6 to 1 Peter 3:19.

Did Christ preach to the dead?

A variation on this erroneous idea is that Jesus visits dead people and preaches to them, so that they can be saved. 

Those who suggest this are understandably troubled by the fact that millions—perhaps even billions—of people have lived and died without ever hearing the true gospel. Peter made it clear in Acts 4:12 that salvation is possible only through Jesus Christ: “Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”

No!  

The Bible teaches that the dead have no conscious thought (Ecclesiastes 9:5, 10). They are utterly incapable of “hearing” the gospel, much less of responding to it!

Some offer an alternative solution, that God will grant salvation to those who died unsaved based on whether they did the best they could with what they knew. 

This idea is completely unscriptural and makes a mockery of the consistent message of God’s Word about the process of conversion! In short, we must learn what sin is, recognize it in our lives, seek God’s forgiveness, and then turn from sin and live according to His will.

God can and will bring the dead back to life

There is only one way that the dead can hear and respond to the gospel, and that is by God bringing them back to life! It is true that the Bible teaches man will have only one opportunity to accept or reject salvation, but the Bible also teaches that God will give some people a second chance at life in order to receive that first opportunity.  

God is quintessentially fair and isn’t willing that any should perish (2 Peter 3:9). (To learn more about God’s plan to give all a chance for salvation, read “Is the Second Resurrection a Second Chance?”) 

So, we’ve seen that neither the “spirits in prison” nor the unsaved dead are the “dead” of 1 Peter 4:6. 

Who, then, did Peter have in mind? We find the answer by carefully reading what he himself said.

The dead who had heard the gospel

A closer look at Peter’s words shows that what he was describing occurred in the past: “The gospel was preached also to those who are dead” (verse 6, emphasis added throughout). 

Clearly, these dead had heard the gospel. 

Recognizing this fact, several Bible translations make this more clear in their translation of this verse. 

• The Amplified Bible: “For this is why the good news [of salvation] was preached [in their lifetimes] even to those who are dead, that though they were judged in the flesh as men are, they may live in the spirit according to [the will and purpose of] God.”
• The Holman Christian Standard Bible: “For this reason the gospel was also preached to those who are now dead, so that, although they might be judged by men in the fleshly realm, they might live by God in the spiritual realm.”
• The Easy-to-Read Version: “Some were told the Good News before they died. They were criticized by others in their life here on earth. But it was God’s plan that they hear the Good News so that they could have a new life through the Spirit.”
• The NET Bible: “Now it was for this very purpose that the gospel was preached to those who are now dead, so that though they were judged in the flesh by human standards they may live spiritually by God’s standards.”
• New International Version: “For this is the reason the gospel was preached even to those who are now dead, so that they might be judged according to human standards in regard to the body, but live according to God in regard to the spirit.”

These translations make Peter’s original meaning more clear—that the gospel was preached to people who are now dead when they were alive. 

In another place, the apostle Paul wrote of “the dead in Christ” (1 Thessalonians 4:16), to describe true Christians who had died. 

Peter was using “the dead” similarly in 1 Peter 4:5-6. He was describing faithful believers who had died in the faith. To become believers before their death, they had to have the gospel preached to them when they were alive. And while they were alive, they were judged “according to men in the flesh.” 

Peter also explains this in context.

Judged by men

He had written in verses 3 and 4 of men who thought “it strange” and spoke “evil of” Christians who had turned away from living by “the will of the Gentiles.”

Peter explained that although these decadent people condemned the righteous, their condemnation will be reversed by Jesus, who judges by a different standard. He judges Christians, who “live according to God in the spirit” (verse 6). 

Here, “in the spirit” refers to those believers living by God’s standard of morality in their mind, being led by God’s Spirit (Romans 8:14). 

Judgment is a process

People reflexively think of judgment as just the passing of the final sentence on guilty sinners, but there is much more to the subject. 

How, then, is Christ judging the Church today?

Note this excerpt from “Judgments of God: The Real Story,” one of our several articles on biblical judgment: “Many assume that judgment in the Bible only means condemnation. But the biblical definition is broader than that. God’s judgment is a process. God watches how we mature and grow in our understanding and service to Him over time.” 

We recommend that you read the full article. It explains that biblical judgment includes these steps: 

1. God calls and teaches people how to live according to His standards. 
2. Christ then guides, encourages, mentors and evaluates them in that way. 
3. Christ eventually makes a final determination of their fate—eternal life or death forever.

The true meaning of 1 Peter 4:6

Any explanation of 1 Peter 4:6 must be consistent with both its immediate context and the broader teachings of Scripture. The following summary explanation reflects both:

Because all people are ultimately accountable to Jesus Christ for their actions, the gospel message was preached to believers who are now deceased. While they were alive, they heard the message, believed it and responded in faith.

Although unrighteous men unjustly judged and condemned them, Christ will not allow that condemnation to stand. His judgment isn’t based on distorted human standards, but on whether a person lives according to God’s will and standards.

Are you responding to the gospel message by committing to the way of life that is pleasing to God? 

To explore how you can live a life pleasing to God, download and read our free booklet What Is a True Christian?

Date Posted: September 8, 2025